When it comes down to Thai cooking, preparation is key. It is very similar to Chinese food when it comes down to execution. Hardly any cooking time is involved and dishes are ready in a matter of minutes. Once all the vegetables are chopped and the rest of the ingredients are at hand, you are just a stir fry away from a complete dish.
1. RAW PAPAYA SALAD (SOM TAM)
Finely grate the raw papaya and set aside. Then take a couple of tomatoes and quarter them. Once the tomatoes are out of the way julienne a couple of spring onions, and then do the same with a cucumber. Bean sprouts will go into the salad they way they are. Transfer all the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.Every salad needs a dressing and this one is no different. In a pan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. As the oil starts to heat up, add in around four finely chopped cloves of garlic. When the garlic turns slightly brown add a couple of tablespoons of soya sauce, a splash of fish sauce and the juice of one lime. Cook for about thirty seconds and then add in a tablespoon of brown sugar and finally a teaspoon of chilli flakes, or more depending on how much spice is preferred. Texture in the form of roasted peanuts, ground or chopped, can be added to the salad, but it is optional.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving. Raw papaya has absolutely no taste to begin with and that is why it works very well because it acts as a sponge, soaking up all the flavours of the dressing. Add a handful of fresh coriander and basil right at the end. The salad can be served as an appetizer or along with the main course.
2. PAD THAI
The Pad Thai is yet another very common Thai dish made with rice noodles. Once the sauce is ready just about anything can go into the making of this dish.
In a pan heat a couple of large swirls of olive oil and sauté four finely chopped cloves of garlic. To it add two heaping teaspoons of chilli sauce followed by a tablespoon of tamarind paste. Mix it well and cook for a minute or so. Soon after that add two tablespoons of soya sauce and fish sauce each and continue to cook. The sauce begins to take shape gradually. Add a couple of kafir lime leaves to give the dish a citrus element. Finally add about half a cup of chicken stock and leave to simmer. To thicken the sauce, add in two teaspoons of cornstarch dissolved in a bit of water. Also add in a couple of spring onions sliced up and allow it to infuse into the sauce.
Once the sauce is ready add in the Thai rice noodles and bean sprouts. Green beans and mushrooms can also be added. Right at the end add in a handful of coriander and a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper.
In addition to the vegetables this dish can also be made with chicken, prawns and even mutton/beef. Should this be the case, then add in the meat at the time when the sauce is being made. Make sure the meat is cooked well before adding in the noodles and the rest of the ingredients. Scrambled eggs are another good addition to the dish, though it is optional
3. CHICKEN WITH CHILLI AND BASIL (PAD KRAPOW GUY)
In a deep pan add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of sesame oil. While the oil is heating up finely chop around four cloves of garlic. Add the chopped garlic to the oil and cook for a bit. Soon after that add in one large onion sliced up. Baby onions, cut in half, can also be used instead (five should be enough). When the onions are cooked, add in the boneless chicken and give it a good stir. While the chicken is cooking, julienne a couple of spring onions and do the same with about five red chillies. Set these aside and go back to the chicken. To it add a tablespoon of soya sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce and mix well. These three components are salty enough, so no additional salt is required. Add in the spring onions and the red chillies and give it a good toss. The dish essentially is a dry one, but a teaspoon of corn flour dissolved in water can be added to lift up the sauce. Finally add in about ten basil leaves and leave to rest with the flame off.
Kafir lime leaves are used very commonly in Thai cooking. They give a wonderful citrus essence to the dish without actually using lime juice. So rip a couple of leaves to release the flovour and throw them in with the chicken to infuse. Do not forget to discard the leaves when the dish is ready as the leaves are inedible.
